For wine glasses, size and shape matters

George Riedel is a man on a mission. The 10th-generation member of the Austrian-based Riedel glassmaking company was in Finger Lakes wine country last week. His quest: determine which size and shape Riedel glass would best showcase the bountiful flavors in Finger Lakes Riesling wines.

George credits his father, Claus Riedel, with learning that the size and shape of a glass makes a dramatic impact on the perceived flavor of the wine. Prior to that time (early 1970s), wine glasses were sometimes viewed as pieces of art, ornately decorated stemware that reflected the spirit of the time, says George. His father, Claus, designed simple, colorless wine glasses to highlight the wines, not necessarily the table setting.

Don't get me wrong — these glasses are beautiful; their simple and graceful shapes have been developed for various types of wine. In addition, Claus determined that different wines often needed different glasses to exhibit the best flavor profile. Following in his father's footsteps, George designed the Sommeliers Series of wine glasses that were praised in 1991 by Robert Parker Jr., publisher of the Wine Advocate, as the best wine glasses for tasting in the world.

That brings us back to George and his visit to The Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake, where a couple dozen wine enthusiasts were treated to a compelling demonstration during an early evening wine tasting. He explained that some wines are soft in the mouth and low in acid while others are crisp and very fruit forward. George explained that the size of the glass opening will determine how far back one has to tilt his head to sip the wine. That alone will have an impact on which part of your tongue the wine comes into contact with first. The size of the glass bowl also will determine how much aroma is perceived, which contributes significantly to one's appreciation of finally tasting the wine.

We tasted three different 2006 Finger Lakes Rieslings, one at a time, in seven different glasses — six Riedel glasses and one clear plastic cup that flared out at the top. It was amazing how the plastic cup held no aromas worth noting while the other six glasses succeeded, in varying degrees, to draw out the attributes of the individual wines.

According to George, wine tasting is all about physics. He lists three components that play a part in enjoying a glass of wine: tactile, taste and aroma. Here is where it gets interesting: 80 percent of the experience is devoted to aroma and 10 percent each to taste and feel (tactile). With such a large percentage assigned to aroma, one begins to appreciate the value of being able to smell the wine in the glass before it hits your taste buds. The tactile portion comes down to how the glass feels on your lips and the way the wine rolls out of the glass and into your mouth. A rolled rim glass inhibits the flow of wine more than a cut rim glass and tends to highlight harshness and acidity, according to Riedel literature.

That brings us back to taste. The shape of the glass directs the wine, automatically, to the portion of the mouth that will taste the wine first. It is that first impression that will confirm the aroma that you have already enjoyed before actually tasting the wine.

The panel cast their votes after each of three wines had been tasted in seven different glasses. The overall favorite wine glass turned out to be the Riedel Riesling Grand Cru glass, which provided the most flavorful tasting experience.

George says, “I don't care which glass you like best as long as you can tell the difference and one glass best shows wine for your palette.”